Nomad supports real-time information pilot

NOMAD Digital, Airbus Defence and Space (ADS), FirstGroup and TTG Transportation Technology are working together to support the development of real-time train location data sources to be used to locate trains at any given time.

The product, which is called “GPS Gateway”, aims to provide a real-time GPS train locator and data that can be consumed by multiple system.

“We have found the experience both informative and collaborative and our view is that the benefits are numerous - to give operators greater confidence of a train’s location which leads to improved passenger information, and to enable greater fleet efficiency,” says Mr Kevin Hollingworth, Nomad’s head of R&D.

The project started when Britain’s Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) initiated a competition to challenge train operators and suppliers to develop new ways to improve railway performance, while improving passenger experience. The trial ran for a month on a FirstGroup fleet, but the solution has been left in place for a further year to create a historical database.

Hollingworth says the pilot selects the best location source at any given time, which is accessible to end-user systems. This data can then be used for communications, control staff, applications, real-time information screens, and third-party content. It will also allow operators to have a more detailed explanation of journey disruption.